In the last election, then-NDP candidate Selina Robinson had to wait close to a month to find out whether she would be the next MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville.
On Tuesday, it was apparent within an hour of the polls closing.
Robinson jumped out to an early lead over BC Liberal challenger Steve Kim — who was also her competition four years earlier — after the first ballot box was counted, an edge she held for the entire night.
The final total gave her 10,308 votes (50%) to Kim’s 7,862 (38%). The BC Green Party’s Nicola Spurling came in a distant third, garnering 2,223 votes (11%).
“It was completely decisive,” Robinson said after being declared the winner. “It is really nice to win on election night.”
The 2013 race was considerably tighter, with Kim receiving a 105-vote lead on election night. After a judicial recount and the tabulation of absentee ballots, Robinson was declared the winner in early June, weeks after election night.
On Tuesday, Robinson said the province-wide results show that voters want to see change in Victoria.
“What is glaring is that people are not happy with Christy Clark and the BC Liberals,” she said. “They are looking for change and we ought to be able to deliver that.”
Across town at the Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club, where the BC Liberals were holding their election night party, Kim reflected on his second defeat to Robinson. He said he ran a strong campaign and was happy with the effort he received from volunteers across the riding.
“I don’t think we’d have done it differently,” he said. “The people have spoken and this is what they chose.”
He didn’t rule out running politically in the future but said for now, he’s going to focus on thanking his team and taking some time to reflect.
COQUITLAM-MAILLARDVILLE RESULTS
• Selina Robinson, BC NDP: 10,308 votes (50.17%)
Steve Kim, BC Liberal: 7,862 (38.26%)
Nicola Spurling, BC Green: 2,223 (10.82%)
Jesse Velay-Vitow, Libert.: 155 (0.75%)
@gmckennaTC
– with files from Diane Strandberg
